Disney revives Orange Bird in Adventureland

Back when Walt Disney World was just one park in a big empty wilderness south of Orlando, there was a strange bird with a head shaped like an orange that bobbed about the Magic Kingdom.

The Orange Bird was actually a creation unique to the Florida theme park in conjunction with the Florida Citrus Growers' sponsorship of the original incarnation of the WDW-version of Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, an attraction that existed in California's Disneyland.

Back in 1971 when the Magic Kingdom opened, it was called Tropical Serenade and featured animatronic birds and flowers doing their thing for more than 25 years before transforming into The Enchanted Tiki Room -- Under New Management with the voice talents of Iago from Alladin and Zazu from The Lion King in 1999.

Fire damage to that attraction in Adventureland in January 2011 led the way to Disney refurbishing it to its current iteration, Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room. The current version now shares the name and is similar to the original version from Disneyland with no sign of Iago or Zazu. And while the new version doesn't re-employ the Tropical Serenade title of the 1971 attraction, the throwback approach it was given fits nicely with the idea the Orange Bird would make a comeback as well.

The bird greeted families at Sunshine Tree Terrace, which also hocked citrus drinks and Orange Bird gifts. The Orange Bird was gone from Walt Disney World by 1981. Last year, Orange Bird merchandise made a comeback to the park and today, D23 representatives announced that the character would make its return to Adventureland.

Now more than 30 years later, the Orange Bird has returned to the signage for the terrace and also on "quirky drink cups." One bit of history that isn't returning, at least not yet, is the Orange Bird character who walked around the park. But the actual, original bird figurine itself will retake its perch at the terrace.

"This is the Orange Bird that guests could see at the Sunshine Tree Terrace back in the '70s and '80s," said Steven Vagnini, archivist for the Walt Disney Archives. "It represented one of the original characters of Walt Disney World when it originally opened so it's very exciting to see him back."